Instructional device for use in connection with ball games



Dec. 4, 1956 M. v. BLAKE 2,772,887

INSTRUCTIONAL DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH BALL GAMES Filed Oct.so, 1953 i nwe/vm All/452 Ahm a United States Patent INSTRUCTIONALDEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH BALL GAlVIES Minden Vaughan Blake,London, England Application October 30, 1953, Serial No. 389,383

Claims priority, application Great Britain November 12, 1952 7 Claims.(Cl. 273-186) This invention relates to instructional devices forteaching the correct arm and body movements in ball. games employingclubs, bats, rackets or the like, and has for its object to provide adevice which will indicate the position in the swing when the club orthe like attains or would attain its maximum angular velocity, and givethe feel of having hit a ball.

While this invention may be appliedto many sports, it may most readilybe understood in its application to driving-strokes of golf, which willnow be described.

A good driving-stroke is made up of a steady acceleration of the club bythe arms and body on the downward part of the stroke, followed by arapid acceleration of the club by the wrists at the bottom of the strokewhen the ball is hit, and culminating in a relaxed follow-through, thepoint of maximum angular velocity of the club being when the club headis in contact with the ball.

A common fault is that players give theclub the rapid acceleration withthe wrists too early in the stroke, and

strike the ball in that part of the stroke which should be the relaxedfollow-through, when the angular velocity of the club has passed throughits maximum point and the grip on the club has slackened.

According to this invention, a device for discovering the way in which aplayer swings a club, bat, racket or the like comprises a handle, anextension 'of the handle, a weight mounted on the extension and movabletowards and away from the handle, a movable stop to obstruct the weightfrom moving away from the handle, and a control for the stop operativeto move it so as to release the weight when the handle and extensionattain a particular angular velocity.

According to a feature of the invention, the extension may be parallelsided and extend coaxially with the handle e. g. a cylinder extendingcoaxially with the handle and the weight maybe a ring which is slidablymounted on the extension. Whenthis feature is adopted, the movable stopmay be provided by at least one member which projects above the surfaceof theextension when the angular velocity of the extension is less thanthat required to release the weight and which is withdrawn into theextension by the action of the control means when the angular velocityexceeds that requiredto release the weight.

In such a construction the extension may be hollow and have an axiallyextending slot in its wall, the control means for the projection maycomprise a mass contained within the extension and slidable towards andaway from the handle and a spring to urge the mass towards the handle,and the movable stop may comprise a member spring urged out through theslot when the member is appropriately located in the extension whichmember is connected to move with the mass, and has a surface inclined ata small angle relative to the axis of the device so that the member iswithdrawn into the extension, as it moves away from the handle, by theinclined surface moving over the end of the slot remote from the handle.

Preferably the extension has two diametrically-opposed axially extendingslots in its wall, and the movable stop comprises two arms spring-urgedapart so that one end "ice of one arm projects through one slot and oneend of the other arm projects through the other slot when the arms areappropriately located in the extension each of which arms is pivoted atits other end to the mass, and each of whicharms has a surface which,when the arms project through the slots, is inclined at a small anglerelative tolthe axis of the device, so that each arm is withdrawn intothe extension, as it moves away from the handle, by the inclined surfacemoving over the end of its slot remote from the handle.

Movement of the mass towards the handle may be limited by a fixed stopwithin the extension, and if this is done the spring urging the masstowards the handle may load the mass against the fixed stop when thedevice is ready for use. The initial load of the spring loading the massagainst the fixed stop when the device is ready for use may beadjustable. For instance; the extension may be open at its end remotefrom the handle and screw-threaded at that end to receive a closingmember, and the spring to urge the mass towards the handle may abutbetween the closing member and an abutment on the mass, the initial loadon the mass being adjusted by screwing the closing member on theextension.

The closing member may be a cup with a central aperture and the mass maybe a rod-like member which extends through the aperture and is guidedthereby.

The device may also comprise a fixed stop projecting from the surface ofthe extension and located so as to limit the movement of the weight awayfrom the handle, a second fixed stop projects from the surface of theextension and is arranged to limit the movement of the weight towardsthe handle.

According to another feature of the invention the device may beconstructed to be mounted on or in an actual club, bar, racket or thelike.

According to yet another feature of the invention the device may bemounted only by a handle so'that the swing may be practised in acon-fined space such as a room.

One embodiment of the invention and a modification thereof will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an axial section through the device.

Figure 2 shows a view of a modified rod member.

Figure 1 shows a device, according to the invention, for practisinggolf-strokes in confined spaces which comprises a handle 10 having acylindrical tubular member 11 co-axially secured to it. The tubularmember 11 has the end remote from the handle enlarged and tapped toenter into a closing cup 12. The cup 12 has an axial bore which acts asa guide for a rod-like member 13 which can' slide axially inside thetubular member 11, but is urged towards the handle 10, against aninternal stop 14 in the tubular member 11, by a helical spring 15compressed between an abutment 16 on the rod-like member and theclosing-up 12. The rod-like member 13 has two arms 17 pivotally mountedon it at locations spaced from the abutment 16 towards the handle. Alight helical spring 18 between the two arms 17 urges them apart so thatthe shoulders 22 on them project through two diametrically opposed,axial slots 19 in the tubular member 11, when the rod-like member 13 isheld against the internal stop 14.

A weight 20 in the form of a solid ring is slidably mounted on thetubular member 11. Movement of the ring 20 towards the handle is limitedby a stop 21 secured to the tubular member between the axial slots 19and the handle 10 so that the ring 20 can lie between it and theshoulders 22 of the two arms 17 projectingthrough the axial slots 19.Movement of the ring 20 away from the handle is limited by a stop 25.

When the device is swung by the player, centrifugal force on therod-like member 13 moves it axially against the helical spring 15, andwhen it has travelled a certain distanceycorresponding to a certainangular velocity of the device, the projecting shoulders 22 areretracted into the tubular-member 11 and the ring'20 flies on until itabuts a second fixed stop 25 causing the centre of inertia ofthe club tomove outwardsand giving the impression of having hit a ball. It alsomakes a distinctive sound,

so that the position of the player when the ring 20 flies 4 member 13has an extension 23 which extends through a central aperture 24 in theclosing-cup 12 which thereby acts as an additional guide for therod-like member 13.

I claim:

l. A device for discovering the way in which a player swings a club,bat, racket or the like comprising a handle, a parallel-sided hollowextension of the handle rigidly connected to the handle and having anaxially-extending slot in the wall thereof, a weighted ring slidaolymounted on the extension for movement towards and away from the handle,a movable stop located on the extension and provided by at least onemember one end of which, in one position, is spring urged to projectthrough said slot such that the end lies in the path of the weightedring and in another position the end is withdrawn into said extensionsuch that it lies out of the path of said ring, a fixed abutment on theextension which fixed abutment is located on the side of said movablestop remote from said handle and projects from the surface of theextension into the path of the weighted ring so as to prevent said ringsliding oh the extension, and automatic control means connected to theother end of said member and operative to move said member so that thefirst said end lies out of the path of the weighted ring at a particularangular velocity, which automatic control means comprises a massconnected to said other end of said member, which mass is containedwithin said extension and is slidable towards and away from the handle,and a spring connected between the extension and the mass to urge themass towards the handle and wherein a surface on said member, when theend projects through said slot, is inclined at a small angle relative tothe axis of the device so that as the mass moves away from the handlethe end of said member is withdrawn into the extension by the inclinedsurface moving over the end of said slot remote from the handle.

2. A device for discovering the way in which a player swings a club,bat, racket or the like comprising a handle, a hollow cylindricalextension of the handle rigidly connected to said handle and having twodiametrically opposed axially-extending slots in its wall, a weightedall) ring slidably-mounted on the extension for movement to- 60 wardsand away from the handle, a movable stop 10- cated in said extension andcomprising two' arms spring urged apart so that one end of one armprojects through one slot into the path of the weighted ring and one endof the other arm projects through the other slot into the path of saidweighted ring when the arms are appropriately located in the extension,a fixed abutment on the extension which fixed abutment'is located on theside of the movable stop remote from the handle and projects from thesurface of the extension into the path of the weighted ring to preventsaid ring sliding off the extension, and automatic control meansconnected to' said movable stop and operative to move the arms so thatthey lie out of the path of the said ring at a particular angularvelocity, which automatic control means comprises a mass con'taiiie'dwithin said extension and slidable towards and away from the handle, afixed stop connected to said extension to limit the movement of the masstowards said handle and a spring connected be tween said extension andsaid mass to urge the mass towards said handle and wherein each of thearms is pivotally mounted at its other end on the mass and each arm has'a surface which when the arms project through the slots is inclined ata small angle relative to the axis of the device so that as the massmoves away from the handle each arm is withdrawn into the extension bythe inclined surfaces moving over the ends of the diametrically-opposedaxially-extending slots remote from the handle.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the spring urging the masstowards the handle loads the mass against the fixed stop when the deviceis ready for use.

4, A device according to claim 3 wherein the initial load of the springloading the mass against the fixed stop when the device is ready foruse, is adjustable.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the extension is open at its'end remote from the handle and is screw threaded at that end to receivea closing member, and

wherein thespring to urge the mass towards the handle abuts between theclosing member'and an abutment on the mass, the initial load on the'mass being adjustable by screwing the closing member on the extension.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein'the closing member is a cupwith a central aperture and wherein the mass is a rod-like element whichextends through the central aperture and is guided thereby.

7. A device according to claim 2 comprising a second fixed stopprojecting from the surface of the extension and located to limit themovement of the weight towards the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

